Aboard the Bison
by Ersatz Einstein
Summary: On its way to Ba Sing Se, the Gaang runs into Zuko and Iroh, who need help. Note: in this fic, Appa wasn't stolen in the desert. Rated K. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Aang saw the machine and his heart almost stopped.

They were _en route _to Ba Sing Se. He was flying his glider, tired of sitting around on Appa all day trying to think of new things to talk about. Scouting had just been an excuse to leave until he'd looked off into the distance and seen an advancing cloud of dust.

He'd suspected what it was right away, but had flown in closer just to make sure. His first instinct was right: it was Azula's train/bulldozer/Avatar-chasing-thingy.

'_How did she find us?' _he thought as he sped back to Appa, yelling for Sokka to wake up.

"Aang, what's wrong?" asked Katara, slackening her grip on Appa's reins to turn around.

"It's those crazy Fire Nation girls. Their big train is behind us again." There was a collective groan as the implications sank in, then everyone began to talk at once.

"And you _had _to wake me! When am I going to sleep now?"

"How long can Appa stay in the air?"

"Ugh, I don't want to be blind all day! How did they find us again?"

"Uh, guys? _Guys. _GUYS!" Aang had to shout to be heard. "I know that we all have questions, but we're not going to solve anything if we sit around arguing."

"Aang is right. Now, we have to figure out how they're tracking us and lose them somehow. Appa isn't shedding, and we're not destroying any branches. Sokka, do you see anything?" Her brother shook his head in reply. "Then let's fly down so Toph can check the ground." They swerved to the left in search of a clearing.

"Sorry, but there's nothing here," Toph said ten minutes later. "No tracks, no trails, nothing!" She kicked the ground in frustration, causing a rock to fly up and almost hit Sokka. Ignoring the ensuing protests, she called up to Aang. "Hey, Twinkletoes, see anything?"

The glider was landed, closed, and stored in a single, fluid motion. "Yes, but not what you'd think." The airbender had an odd expression on his face. "We're not leaving a trail."

"Well, what is it? Spit it out, Twinkletoes."

"I… They didn't follow us this way." At this, Sokka pushed forward.

"So? They'll catch on sooner or later."

"They turned right about a minute ago. We went left."

"So? Maybe they're trying to trick us or something! You know how sneaky they are!"

"No, I don't think that's it. I think they're following someone else." Suddenly, his glider opened. "And I'm going to find out who."

"Wait, Aang, we don't even know who they're following, or if they're going to come back later, or if it's a trap, or-"

"I'll be fine. You guys ride ahead. I'll catch up."

"No," Katara declared. "If you're going, then we're coming with you."

"Great, so we're all gonna get captured," groaned Sokka. "Fine, let's do it the crazy way. Come on, Momo."

…

They flew at an angle to cut off the machine, then went ahead of it, close to the ground, to look for people. It was about twenty minutes before they heard familiar voices.

"Come on! Keep running! She's right behind us!"

"I'm running… as fast… as I can… Zuko! I'm not… a young man… anymore."

"Just drop the tea set! I'll buy you a new one when we get there!"

"That won't… stop her! And I'll lose… a… fine set."

The argument continued as they approached. The sight that met them was little short of a shock.

They had never seen General Iroh worried, much less frantic. Now, however, he was hurriedly dashing through the forest, pushing branches out of his way with one hand and holding his pack over his shoulder with the other. Zuko was ahead of him, but only barely, carrying a satchel and trying not to stumble over tree roots. Despite his evident haste and the chatter of his nephew, Iroh heard the Gaang approach.

He turned around and almost dropped his pack in surprise. "Hello," he said, smiling.

"Uncle, who are you talking to? Is that Azula?" Zuko raced back to his uncle, arms raised in a fighting stance. But even a non-firebender could see that his stance was sloppy, his arms were shaking, and he was swaying. He dropped it when he saw Aang. "What do you want?"

"We were wondering who they were chasing."

"Us." Iroh stopped smiling as he spoke, and Aang realized that he was haggard and dirty. "They've been following us for the past eight days. We're hoping to lose them in Ba Sing Se."

"Uncle, we don't have time for this! Let's go!" Iroh's only response to the outburst was to raise his hand. Glaring, Zuko fell silent.

"What can we do to help?" Aang may not have cared for Zuko much, but Iroh was practically one of them, and he'd helped a lot the last time they'd seen Azula.

"Actually, yes." He made a sweeping bow. "Would you and your friends consider giving my nephew and myself a ride? I am aware that it is an imposition, but-"

"Are you out of your mind?" Zuko and Sokka glared at each other, irritated at being in agreement. After a brief contest of wills, Sokka continued the argument. "They're our sworn enemies! Remember all the times they've _tried to kill us?_ No, no way, we are _not-_"

"Will you _shut up_?" snapped Toph. She looked at Aang. "Whatever you wanna do is fine by me."

"Katara?"

She looked at the disheveled firebenders and shrugged. "Alright, Aang. If you're sure about this."

He nodded and paused to think it over, then turned back to Iroh. "We would be honored to take you to Ba Sing Se," he said, making a low bow. "Let's get going."

"Thank you. Zuko…" He looked sternly at his nephew, making his intention clear. For his part, Zuko was shocked and more than a little dazed.

"But… enemies… avatar… we can't…" He trailed off into a confused silence, then forced himself out of it. "No! We can't-"

"We can't flee for much longer."

He looked like he was going to breathe fire, but a rumble not-so-far in the distance preempted any response he might have made. Instead, he simply nodded and followed his uncle to the bison.

"Oo-kaay. So, um, do you need any-"

"We can get up on our own!" snapped the prince. Thirty seconds of weak scrambling and clawing later, Aang boosted him with a little airbending and did the same for Iroh.

"Our apologies. We haven't slept since Azula began following us."

"No problem. How about you get some rest while we lose them?" He turned to the reins in his hands. "Appa, yip yip!"

As the bison rose into the air, Zuko's eyes began to droop. "Get some rest," whispered Iroh. He smiled and patted his nephew's shoulder. "We can sleep here." He then leaned back against the edge of Appa's saddle and pulled his straw hat over his eyes. Zuko thought of arguing with him, but decided that it wouldn't be worth it. It was surprisingly easy to drift off, holding his pack as if it was a teddy bear.


	2. Chapter 2

Zuko didn't open his eyes when he first awoke. He was still exhausted from eight days of escape and seven sleepless nights. He just wanted to relax, remember where he was, and enjoy the feel of the sun on his closed eyelids and the breeze in his hair.

However, the loud discussion going on not five feet from him made this difficult.

"What if we were to infuse it with earth?" said Iroh.

"Can't. The fire would burn it away or the water would turn it into mud." This speaker was a girl, but her voice was much higher than Katara's.

"Hmmmm… Perhaps if it had a center of earth surrounded by wood-"

" Wouldn't that stop working once the wood burned away?" _That _was Katara.

"Oh! What about metal? We could coat it in that, since nobody can bend metal."

"The fire would melt it."

"Not if the water could cool it!"

He opened his eyes a crack to see his uncle sitting cross-legged in front of him, stroking his beard in thought. He was sipping tea (naturally) as he looked at Sokka, considering the boy's idea.

"That might work, but only if there was both a waterbender and a firebender playing, and they would have to exchange the ball periodically, which would limit their strategic options and put them at a disadvantage to earth- and airbenders." He turned around to look for something in his pack and saw Zuko's open eye. "Nephew, you're awake," he said, smiling broadly. "How did you sleep?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, the avatar and his friends were telling me about a fascinating game that airbenders used to play, and we're trying to adapt it so that members of all four nations can play. Do you have any ideas?" Zuko's only response was a snort of derision. "Ah, well. You are still tired. Hungry, too." A loud growl of Zuko's stomach answered the implied question. "As we are well out of Azula's reach, how about some breakfast?" Sighing, Zuko gave a terse nod. He was far too hungry to argue. "Excellent. There is some fish left over from the last time we landed. It's already cooked, but you can warm it up again."

He wordlessly grabbed the proffered meal and, lighting a tiny spark in one hand, held the fish over the flame until it was warm. As he ate, Iroh resumed the discussion, and he found himself learning the rules of this game in spite of himself. The debate over ball material continued for a few minutes, then Iroh had another idea.

"What about the playing surface? If we abandon the poles, it could be played on the ground, which would allow the earthbenders to move it."

"Oh, like that kicking game we saw in that village!"

"Right."

Zuko involuntarily pricked his ears up as Aang, who was steering, shouted over his shoulder. "That sounds good, but isn't that getting away from the original idea of the game?"

"I suppose so, but wouldn't it be worth it to be able to play with everyone?"

"Yeah, but it'd be nice to have something of the original game in there. Something that needed one of the lighter kinds of bending."

"You could divide the playing field, with poles at both ends and earth in the middle." Everyone turned to look at Zuko in surprise. He didn't look at them as he continued. "Then you could score by either building a ramp or kicking with earthbending or shooting it through with one of the other kinds."

There was silence for a good thirty seconds, and then Aang spoke up.

"That's perfect! Let's try it out as soon as we land!"


	3. Chapter 3

A couple of hours later, they spotted a small clearing and headed for it. Aang leapt off of Appa the moment they landed, eager to try the new game. Katara, Toph, and Sokka soon followed him. Sokka paused after running about ten feet and turned back to ask, "Do you want to play?"

Zuko looked up to give the non-bender a look of scorn, only to realize that he wasn't the subject of the inquiry. His uncle laughed.

"Perhaps later. I am still very tired, and would like to get some rest." Sokka nodded and ran off to join the others.

Zuko huffed resentfully and began to gather wood for a small fire. His uncle was starting to get on his nerves. Didn't he know that they were the enemy? He looked up to see a smirk on the older man's face.

"What?!" he snapped, almost dropping the wood on his foot in his haste.

"You know, they probably wouldn't mind if you went to join them. And you could use the exercise." He chuckled. "Actually, so could I."

"If I want exercise, I'll practice my bending."

"In the middle of the forest? That would be dangerous."

"So? Maybe I don't need exercise. I certainly don't need to play some game."

"Why not? It looks like fun."

"What is wrong with you? They're our enemies! The avatar and his friends! We shouldn't be sitting around playing games with them when we're supposed to capture them!" There was a brief silence. Zuko was about to apologize when his uncle spoke.

"Do you prefer them, or Azula?"

Wordlessly, Zuko finished building the pile of wood and brush. He paced for a moment, then spun around and lit the fire, letting out a muffled "ha!" Iroh's only response was to get his tea set.

…

A few hours later, Iroh was asleep. Zuko sat across the fire, nursing his stone cold cup of tea. It was beginning to get dark.

"Hey!" Zuko twitched at the sound of the avatar's voice, but didn't turn around. "He-ey! Iroh!" He was running closer to the fire.

"My uncle is asleep." Aang stopped dead when the prince spoke. "Don't wake him."

"Oh, um, okay." He rubbed his head nervously. "Say… could you help us with something?"

"What?" There was something rude and vaguely threatening in his tone that made Aang flinch, but the airbender ploughed ahead.

"Well, you see, that game we figured out is really fun, only it's kind of dark, and we can't see. None of us is really tired, but someone might get hurt if we keep playing like this, so-"

"Fine."

"Really?" Zuko's only response was to glare at him. "Right, I'll just… I'll just tell the others."

Zuko downed the rest of his cold tea, making a face, then slowly got up and followed the avatar.

…

Iroh was awoken by the feeling of heat on his face. He frowned and sat up. He did a slight double-take when he realized that the figure sitting beside him was not Zuko, but Katara. The heat suddenly became worrisome as he looked anxiously for its source. _So, my nephew has disregarded my warning about firebending. I hope that he at least considered- well, that is something you don't see every day. _He sat up and reheated the fire. He put the teakettle back on, but not before shifting his position so that he could better see his nephew and the Fire Nation's greatest enemies kicking a ball in the light of a circle of torches.


	4. Chapter 4

Zuko awoke the next morning to a tap on his shoulder. He quickly sat upright, preparing to shoot flames at the offender.

"Whoah, whoah! Hey!" Sokka yelled, stumbling backwards.

"Oh, um, sorry," Zuko mumbled, lowering his hand sheepishly. "So, um, what's up?"

"Well, I'm going fishing, and everyone else is still asleep. I was wondering if you wanna come with?" Zuko raised an eyebrow. "You know, because… I mean, you're traveling with us now, so maybe you could…" He raised his arms slightly, as if to ward off a blow. "… help out?"

The prince shrugged. "Sure.

Sokka grinned. "Great. Let me just get my stuff."

…

"This is really boring." They sat side by side on a rock ledge above the river.

"Yeah, I know! That's why I brought you. I needed someone to talk to. Sooo, anyway… Why were those girls chasing you?"

"My father assigned them to capture the avatar."

"Oh. Isn't that your job?"

"Uncle and I have been declared fugitives and traitors of the Fire Nation." Catching sight of Sokka's incredulous expression, he added, "If you don't believe me, you can ask him."

"Oh, no, I believe you. It's just a little weird. All of a sudden, you're not the one chasing us. Who are they, anyway?"

"My sister and her friends."

"Which one's your sister? The one who never smiles, the one in pink, or the one that shoots blue fire?"

"Blue fire."

"Yikes. I mean, no offense, but… yikes."

"No, I get it. Even Uncle thinks she's creepy. My father likes her, though. She takes after him."

"Don't tell Aang that. It'd freak him out." Zuko smirked and nodded. "Good, cause-" Raising his arm to make a gesture, he accidentally released his grip on his pole. It splashed into the water below them. "Aw, there go the fish!"

"Maybe they'll come back."

"Not today. Ugh, I'll get it."

"I'll do it. At least it's something to do." At this he jumped into the water, letting out a muffled shout as his head went under. He came up sputtering and shivering. "I didn't think it was that deep," he gasped, gripping his shoulders.

"Hey, you splashed me, too!"

"I'm s-so s-sorry for you!"

"Fine, so where's the pole?"

"Um…" He cast about. "Over there." Careful not to submerge his head, he slowly bobbed over to where the pole had drifted.

It hit Sokka on the head when he threw it back up. "Hey, careful with that!"

"What, you've never been hit in the head before?" the prince rejoined with a grin as he hoisted himself back onto the bank.

"Well, I… Shut up! Anyway, the pole's fragile."

"Can't you replace it with any stick?"

"It's not that simple! You have to get wood, and a string, and a hook." Warming up to his subject, he began to gesture. "The hook's the hardest part. You can get it stuck in your finger if you aren't careful."

"How do you get a hook caught in your finger?" Zuko asked with a curious glance.

"No one ever thinks it'll happen until it does," Sokka muttered lamely.

"Hmmm." He tried to conceal his smile as he picked up his pole. "Is there anywhere else we can fish?"

"Are you kidding?" Sokka said, looking at the rising sun. "It's best early in the morning. You can't get anything once the sun's up."

"Oh. That explains a lot."

"You haven't tried that, have you?" Now it was Sokka's turn to give a knowing grin.

"Firebenders think more clearly once the sun's up. It's hard for us to get up early, and…" He glanced over at Sokka, noticing his companion's attempts to cover his giggles. "Shut up!"


	5. Chapter 5

"Hello. Would you like some tea?"

"Um, yes, sure." Katara brushed the ground clear and sat cross-legged in front of the old firebender. She watched quietly as the old man used his hand to heat the pot, allowing it to boil until he was satisfied. Then, he slowly, almost lovingly, poured the freshly-made tea into two small cups. With a gentle smile, he proffered one to Katara.

They sipped in silence for a few minutes, leaving Katara alone with her thoughts.

"This is really good. Thank you," she said, just to break what was becoming an awkward silence.

Iroh beamed as he replied, "It is a recipe of my own invention. The secret is the fire lily blossoms."

"Fire lilies? I've never heard of those."

Iroh sighed. "They don't grow outside of the Fire Nation. A few colonists in the Earth Kingdom bring them to plant their gardens, but they do not live for long there. It is too moist."

"Then how did you get these?"

"I have a friend who runs a small flower shop bordering the desert. It is dry enough there to grow fire lilies."

"Hmm, I see," Katara mumbled appreciatively. She couldn't help but be impressed by the dedication the old man showed to his hobby. Of course, it was the same sort of determination that made his nephew such a threat, but right now, it didn't seem all bad.

"Might I ask what you are thinking?"

"Just that something can be good or bad depending on how it's used."

Now it was Iroh's turn to mumble and let the subject drop.

The peaceful silence lasted for almost an hour, its interruptions infrequent and pleasant. Katara was beginning to wonder if they could just spend the entire day there when she heard a shout.

"Ahh!"

"What was that?" she asked, leaping to her feet. Iroh followed suit within seconds and they shared a shocked glance.

"It's Zuko." They both raced towards the source of the noise, hearts pounding.

…

Their anxiety ebbed, however, when they got closer and heard the prince's voice, strong as ever. If anything, he seemed irritable, not scared.

"… think more clearly once the sun's up. It's hard for us to get up early, and… Shut up!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Big Bad Firebender. You're not going to hit me, are you? Oh wait, you can't! It's still dark ou- ouch! Hey!"

Twenty feet away from the clearing, Katara couldn't help but snicker. Iroh tapped her on the shoulder.

"It appears that my nephew is in no mortal danger," he whispered. "Therefore, perhaps we should go back to camp before your friend the avatar notices we're missing."

They quietly trooped back, leaving Sokka and Zuko to it.

…

Aang was awake when they got back, and after a quick explanation, he was more than happy to settle down to a breakfast of tea and noodles. Toph still wasn't up when Sokka and Zuko returned.

"Hey, guys! We got fish!" Sokka triumphantly held up a scrawny pair of fish. Zuko had even managed to reel in a tiny carp.

"Mmm, those look… delicious," said Katara, trying to keep her smile sincere.

"Oh yeah! I'd like to see you do better!" Sokka yelled, his rude tone belied by his smile.

"So, Zuko, did you learn anything useful about fishing?" Iroh asked, cheerfully gutting the first of Sokka's catches.

"They stop biting after sunrise." Noting Sokka's smirk, he went on. "Oh, and never get a fishhook stuck in your hand." He rolled his eyes. "Apparently, it happens to a lot of people." This prompted a general laugh and a protest from the jest's target.

"Hey, where's Toph?" asked Sokka. "We need to take off soon."

"Still asleep. You're welcome to wake her up if you want." Katara's eyes twinkled with mirth.

"Maybe I will! Toph!" he shouted, stomping off to her earthen tent. It wasn't until after he was gone that Iroh noticed his nephew's clothes.

"Zuko, I don't mean to pry, but why are you all wet?"

"Sokka dropped his pole in the river."

"Again? I don't know why he still fishes. He's so clumsy."

"He didn't seem that bad. He told me that he once caught a fish bigger than his head. Was he lying?"

"No, he wasn't. When was that, Aang? Before or after the time he caught your shirt in the hook?"

"Gee, I don't know, Katara. I think that it was around the time he fell in and you had to use your bending to pull him out."

They would have continued, but a loud shout announced the arrival of Sokka's flying body. "Toph's up," he muttered.  
"Good. Now, where were we?"

"I think that you were about to tell them about the time he got two fishhooks stuck in his hand."

"He what?" Iroh's surprisingly childlike tone of interest prompted a laugh from Katara. "How does that even happen?"

"He tried to get the first fishhook out with another fishhook."

"It seemed like a good idea!"

Zuko's only response was to roll his eyes and suck in a mouthful of noodles.


	6. Chapter 6

Many things could be said about Toph Beifong. One could say that she was rude and crass, or that she showed a surprising lack of manners for someone of her social status. One could say that she was ruthless in a fight, making it clear that, for all that the Fire Nation mocked the Earth King's forces, earthbending could be devastating when used well. One could say that she had her moments of softness, and even that said moments could evolve into and reveal deep, lasting friendships. One could _definitely _say that when it came to her friends, she would take no prisoners.

One could not, however, say that she was one for tactfully keeping her trap shut.

"So, are you on our side now?" Zuko leaped about a foot in the air and let out a brief shout of surprise. He couldn't help but marvel at her ability to move silently. Unfortunately, his shock got in the way of his communication.

"W-wha… Wait, what?"

She crossed her arms and slowly reiterated, "Are. You. On. Our. Side. Now?"

"I, um, um… I-"

"'Cause if you're not, doesn't that mean that you still have to catch Twinkletoes? And if so, why haven't you yet?"

"It's not that simple!"

"Really? 'Cause it seems pretty simple to me." She waited for him to answer, but only got silence in reply. She shrugged. "Well, whenever you make up your mind, make sure to let us know." She turned to walk away, then turned back to throw a parting remark over her shoulder. "And Sparky, make sure it's the right decision, 'cause I'd hate to have to kick your butt."

With that, she wandered off to find Aang for some earthbending practice.

…

Iroh was calmly watching a family of turtleducks playing in a pool where the river widened. There was a mother and five young ones, one of whom in particular reminded him a little of his nephew. It had a particularly high call, which it made often while chasing and being chased by its siblings. Suddenly, the ducks lifted their heads, and at a call from the mother, they quickly swam off into the reeds at the opposite bank. Only then did the old firebender hear footsteps. He turned just in time to see his nephew rush into the clearing.

Zuko grabbed his shoulders. "I need help, advice, anything! What do I do? Should we leave, or is that what they suspect? Where's Azula? Wha-"

"Zuko, calm down," Iroh said firmly, gripping Zuko's arms and removing them from his shoulders. "What is going on?"

"One of them, the earthbender, asked me whose side I'm on! What do I do?"

"I think that that depends on what your answer is."

"We're on the side of the Fire Nation."

"Are we? As I recall, your sister wants to arrest us."

"Yes, well… That's not the point! It's our job to capture the Avatar. It's the only way to-"-restore your honor," they finished in unison as Iroh tried not to roll his eyes. "If that is the case, then this shouldn't trouble you."

"Well, I… They're of use to us for the time being. It would be a tactical error to attack them now."

"Spoken like your father. If you know that we aren't going to attack them, at least for now, why not tell them so?"

"Because they want to know whose side we're on."

"Then tell them that we still aren't on their side."

"But-"

"Zuko, a stone thrown into the water will always sink to the bottom. Once it is thrown, its path is determined."

"Um, okay." Zuko walked off. It wasn't until his uncle was out of sight that he dared to mutter, "I'm just not sure what side we're on."


	7. Chapter 7

By the time Toph and Sokka had stopped arguing and they'd taken off, it was almost noon. Realizing this, they had packed in something of a hurry, rushing about and bumping into each other in their rush. Said rush had only gotten worse when Sokka had tripped over a rock and spent the next fifteen minutes trying to blame Toph. On top of all that, Aang couldn't seem to stay focused for long enough to pack more than a single bag, and Momo had rifled through Katara's bags every time she turned her back.

In all the confusion, not even Iroh noticed that Zuko hadn't spoken for over three hours.

'_This is absurd! It's taken me over three years to even find him. Father was justified in sending Azula. It was a sound military decision. Questioning it would be a __**real **__act of treason. Treason… Why did he have us declared traitors? It must be another tactic, or maybe a misunderstanding… I bet Azula told him something! Yeah, that's it. Azula. It's all her fault. She had us declared traitors… Hmmm, treason- damn! We're traveling with the avatar! Now it's going to look like she was telling the truth! What do I do? Wait, I'm __**five feet away from him! **__All I have to do is come up with a good plan, and we can go home. I've got to talk to Uncle Iroh, he probably has-'_

"ZUKO!"

"Huh?"

Sokka rolled his eyes. "We've been trying to get your attention for like, twenty minutes. What's up?"

"Oh, sorry. I must've been somewhere else."

"I'll say." He shrugged and gestured as he went on. "So anywho, do you want to keep flying through the night, or just stop an hour later than usual?"

"Um, let's just keep going. We want to get there soon, right?"

At this, Sokka rounded on an aggrieved-looking Katara. "Ha! See? Told ya he'd take my side!" She confined her response to a roll of the eyes.

The conversation ended, Zuko tried to return to his thoughts, but he found it hard to focus. Every time he thought of a new idea, he'd be distracted by the sound of Aang's laugh, or the movement of Katara's hand as she brushed the hair out of her face, or the bizarre sense that, even though she couldn't see him, Toph was looking straight at him. He finally gave up in favor of watching the clouds and wondering what his uncle would think of his decision. This, too, was soon interrupted.

"Whatcha doing?" Zuko jumped a little at Aang's near-shout, noting that the world's greatest master of elements had no indoor voice.

"Oh, um, watching the clouds." He was a little embarrassed that a) he had no better answer and b) it was the truth.

"Oh, OK. What do you see?"

He hadn't really been thinking about it. Now, he focused on a small cloud off to their left. "That one looks sort of like a koalaotter."

"Oh, yeah. Hey, that one looks like Appa! See, there's the head, and there's the tail! Oh, and there's a cat! Or maybe a cat owl?"

Zuko studied the cloud in question. "I'd say that it looks more like… a fire ferret."

"Ugh, this is so boring!" Toph groaned. "I don't even know what you're pointing at!"

They spent the rest of the hour looking at clouds, and the hour after that watching the sun set. It wasn't until Aang fell asleep that Zuko remembered his mission and felt a stab of guilt. He looked down at the small bald child sleeping beside him.

'_I'll ask Uncle about it when we land. He'll know what to do."_


	8. Chapter 8

It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that Zuko managed to pull his uncle into a secluded clearing.

"Come on, hurry! I need to talk to you!"

"Well, this had better be important. I want to get some sleep. My eyes feel heavier than my stomach."

"It's about my honor. And the, um, Avatar."

That got his attention. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know! That's why I'm asking you!"

"You're asking _me? _Why would I-"

"You give me advice all the time!"

"Yes, and it always goes over well." Iroh was still smiling.

"Look, I wasn't asking for advice then. I'm asking now."

The older man tapped his chin thoughtfully and leaned against a tree. "Very well: imagine a squirrel. The squirrel does not-"

"Don't you understand how _serious this is?!" _Zuko threw out his hand and a nearby bush burst into flame. "This is my entire life we're talking about! My family, my mission, my honor. I don't need jokes, or confusing stories! I need a DECISION, you crazy old man!"

Iroh smacked him. He wasn't smiling anymore.

"Do you always insult those you ask for guidance?"

Zuko's face crumpled as his anger faded. "I'm sorry. I'm just… confused. I need your help."

His uncle's expression softened. "As you said, Prince Zuko, this is _your _life. I cannot make the decision for you. You are your own man. You, and only you, must decide what the right thing to do is, and you must stand by your decision."

He bowed and walked away, leaving his nephew to put out the bush alone.

…

"Next stop, Ba Sing Se!" called Sokka as they packed to board Appa once more.

"With any luck, we should be there by nightfall," added Katara.

"Yeah, great." Zuko's voice was too low to be heard by anyone, including his uncle. "Hey, guys?" he added at a more normal volume. "I'm done packing my stuff. Can I go check out the river for a few minutes before we go? I have to, uh…"

"Take a leak? Why, take your time!" said Sokka as everyone else tried very hard not to look too amused or uncomfortable. "We've got a long day ahead of us, so you should probably go now anyway."

Zuko nodded once in acknowledgement and headed into the forest.

"What's _his_ problem?" asked Toph.

…

"What is _taking _him so long?" Zuko had been gone for well over an hour. Sokka couldn't stop pacing. Katara was absentmindedly bending water from her canteen. Aang sat cross-legged on the sky bison's back, failing to suppress a yawn of boredom as Momo chittered and searched for bugs on the outskirts of their campsite. Toph was kicking a rock, an action made unusual only by the fact that she wasn't touching said rock. Even Appa had flopped down with a loud growl after twenty minutes. The only one who didn't look impatient was Iroh, who had unpacked his tea set and was humming over some jasmine leaves.

Then they heard the crackling of leaves in the distance. It sounded as though someone was running towards the camp. Instantly thinking of Zuko, they renewed their packing efforts, much to Iroh's chagrin. Aang grabbed his glider and excitedly flew up to see if he could spot the firebender, and while he was confused about the presence of_ actual_ flames in such a flammable area, he assumed that it was just a firebender thing.

…

Zuko was trying to meditate, but he couldn't seem to focus. Every time it looked as though he was about to gain some perspective, he'd hear some small animal chirping or the light would change or the wind would start up again and he'd get cold or… something. Had he been honest with himself, he'd have admitted hours ago that the decision he was trying to make was, ironically, distracting him from his decision-making process.

As he once again settled into his favorite meditative position, a low crouch, he heard some branches cracking. He closed his eyes tighter and ignored it.

A minute later, he heard a chorus of high birdcalls. He ignored that, too.

He _almost _opened his eyes when he heard the crash of a tree trunk hitting the forest floor, but he forced himself to keep focused.

It was the smell that finally got his attention. He didn't even notice it at first, so intent was he upon the task at hand. His nostrils started to twitch as he noted the smell in the back of his mind. It was a fairly familiar scent, so he didn't bother to place it as he tuned it out. Feeling the involuntary twitching of his muscles as _they _recognized what he was smelling, he devoted a little more of his attention to it. As his eyes began to tear, he reluctantly rose from his crouch and absentmindedly wiped them off, still more or less lost in thought.

'_Wait a minute…' _His eyes widened as they registered the thick clouds of smoke that hung in the air.

"Forest fire," he whispered.

* * *

**Hey! A****t the request of my readers, **I tried to make this chapter a little longer. Sorry that I took two weeks to get to it. 

**Anyway, I'm sure that I'm going to get comments about this, so a) no, it's not her, b) yes, I considered the idea, and c) yes, I'm making this deliberately vague (though I'm sure you'll pick up on it anyway). Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	9. Chapter 9

The wall of fire surrounded the camp at a distance of less than six meters, pressing at Toph's dirt trench. (The earthbender was trying to smother it, but since people covered most of the nearby earth, it was hard to get material.)

Katara drew her water whip out of her canteen. It wasn't nearly enough to do them any good. Aang landed beside her.

"Can you go to the river for water?"

"The glider will fan the flames! I might just drive it closer to camp."

"Hmmm."

"I'm sorry to interrupt," said Iroh from behind them, "but I can't keep this up for much longer."

He had spread his hands apart and set his feet, as if he were going to earthbend. Now he was pushing the fire back, face straining with the effort. Its progress had slowed, but it continued to draw near.

"It's a pity we don't have Zuko here to help."

"Hey, where is he, anyway?" asked Sokka, pausing in his loading of Appa to stand upright and stretch. Momo changed his position on the young man's head.

"Wait a minute," said Aang. "You don't think that he-"

"A single firebender couldn't do this. The fire is too widespread. It was probably caused by more than one smaller fire," Iroh countered through gritted teeth. His hands were beginning to shake. "My nephew is not responsible."

"Well, then we're back to trying to stop the fire," Aang sighed. "Any ideas?"

Katara looked thoughtful for a moment. "If he didn't do this, then he's out there somewhere, right? And he might be close to the river!"

"Yeah, so?"

"If we call him back here, he can help us bend a path to the water."

…

The nephew in question was fighting desperately to keep the fire away from his body. He ducked and spun, as much to avoid inhaling smoke as to control the flames. He paused for a moment to get his bearings and peer around for the camp. The smoke was too thick to see clearly.

Then there was a slight flicker at the corner of his vision. He turned quickly. _'What was that?' _Just as he was beginning to think that he was imagining things, he saw it again. _'There! Something yellow and red. What do I know that's- oh, duh.' _

"Zuko!" yelled Aang from his glider.

"I'm here!" he shouted, trying not to cough. When Aang didn't answer, he stopped bending and cupped his hands around his mouth. "I'm here!" He dissolved into a coughing fit, but it didn't matter. Aang had heard him.

A moment later, something white and considerably smaller than the Avatar's glider flew straight at the firebender, carefully dodging the flames and chattering nervously.

The lemur stopped only long enough to drop a small roll of paper into Zuko's hand. Then it left. Using one hand and his feet to keep the fire at bay, Zuko unrolled the paper and squinted to read it through the smoke.

…

Aang was floating in the center of camp, using the downdrafts he created to drive the fire back.

"Is he reading it?" asked Katara. Her water whip was out, but with each hit, a little more sizzled away.

"Yeah!"

"Well, what's he doing?"

"Hang on, it's kinda hard to see through the smoke." He squinted to get a better look. "He's finished reading! He's putting it away, and- wait, I can't see- he's, umm… He's giving us a thumbs-up! Start the tunnel! I'll hold the fire. Go!"

Iroh, Toph, and Katara drew closer together as Aang landed. The Avatar increased the force of the air, redirecting the oxygen that was fanning the flames to push them back. Iroh began to slowly part the fire. Toph, careful to stay near those who could block the threat directly, dug small trenches on each side of the tunnel to slow the fire's spread. Katara circled around them, deflecting stray sparks and dangerously erratic tendrils of flame with her water whip.

For five tense minutes, each focused on his or her part, fighting exhaustion and hoping that they were going in the right direction. Then the fire parted in front of them before Iroh could move. His eyes widened slightly as he saw his nephew, arms spread and legs planted in the middle of the path. Zuko was clearly tired, but there was a distinctively determined glare on his face that (for once) reassured them.

Seeing them, the younger firebender stepped to the side. "Come on!" he shouted. Needing no further encouragement, Katara and Toph raced past him towards the river. Aang followed, widening the tunnel for Sokka and Appa. They closed it behind them and joined the girls at the river.

Katara simply kept the fire back until Aang arrived. Once he was in place beside her, she readied her stance. He imitated her.

"On three?" she asked.

"Sure."

"One, two, three!" They raised their arms, drawing the water behind them up into a wave three times their height. Katara watched out of the corner of her eye as the non-waterbenders grabbed hold of Appa. When she nodded, they quickly lowered their arms and thrust them forward.

They sent wave after wave at the wall of death, throwing the later ones once the fire had retreated out of their immediate range. By the time they had finished, it was getting dark out. The others were drenched and shivering in the cold, while Aang and Katara only felt tired and, paradoxically, vaguely energized.

Katara sighed. "OK. I think that it's out."

"It's too dark to leave now," noted Aang.

Sokka groaned. "So we're losing _another _day?! Come on, at this rate the Fire Nation will have taken over Ba Sing Se by the time we get there!"

"Your friend is right," said Iroh sympathetically. "It's too dark to see and we're all tired. I know that I could sleep for a week. Unfortunately, tonight will have to do." He chuckled, but the most anyone else could manage was a weak smile.

As they moved to set up camp and light a fire with what dry wood they could find, Zuko realized that he had made his decision.


	10. Chapter 10

"So you're saying it couldn't have been started by other firebenders?" asked Toph, one eyebrow incredulously raised.

Iroh raised his hands slightly as if to ward off misconceptions. "No, but it isn't likely. The fire surrounded our camp very quickly from more than one direction. That means that it started in more than one place or that it started far enough away that it spread in an unusual pattern. Had it been an attack, it would have probably been raised closer to camp, which means that it would have required multiple firebenders. As far as we know, my niece is accompanied only by her friends, neither of whom can bend."

They had been contemplating (and arguing about) the situation for the better part of an hour. Appa was finally back in the air, and they were due to reach the city soon.

"What if there were two firebenders?" asked Katara, looking at Zuko out of the corner of her eye.

Iroh followed her gaze. "Even with two, it couldn't have spread that quickly." _'Besides,' _he added mentally. _'My nephew would rather let the Avatar escape than let Azula take the credit of his capture.' _He was a little surprised that Zuko hadn't risen to the bait, but the prince had been characteristically sullen.

"How soon 'til we get to Ba Sing Se?"the boy in question suddenly interjected.

"Another hour if we don't get lost," called Aang over his shoulder.

"Wait, lost?" Everyone jumped a little in surprise. They had thought that Sokka was asleep under the brim of his hat. Now he was upright and decidedly alert. "Are you saying you don't know where we are?"

"Well, I sorta do. It's been a while since we've been to this part of the Earth Kingdom, right, Appa?" The bison snorted in reply.

"That's it, where's the map?"

"I've got it," said Zuko, sitting up a little to sift through his hastily packed bags. He spread it out on Appa's furry back. "Okay, here's the river. Where are we?"

"I think we're right… here!"

"No, we passed that lake a few days ago."

"Oh, you're right. How about here?"

"Wait, move your thumb. I can't see. What? No, That can't be it. We're going north, aren't we?"

It was amazing how much attitude a blind person could put into an eye roll.

…

By the time they finally reached the city gates, it was almost dark. A slight draft stirred the air as Appa gently touched down outside the city walls. Aang hopped off quickly, almost forgetting the others in his eagerness to stretch his legs. Sokka wearily followed, pulling a satchel out with him. Katara and Toph dismounted together, followed by Iroh.

After a few seconds of stretching, Aang turned to Iroh. "So…" He rubbed his head awkwardly. "Are you guys, y'know…?"

A loud thump made them all turn to face Appa. Zuko and Iroh's bags were on the ground in front of the bison. The prince hopped out after them. He looked up to see the others staring at him and sighed, pushing his tousled hair out of his face.

"Look," he started, straightening up and walking a few steps forward. "I appreciate the help and everything. I mean, my crazy sister and her friends would've killed us if you hadn't stepped in." He paused as the realization of what he was about to say sunk in.

"But I still have an obligation to the Fire Nation, and I still think that it's my duty to, um, finish my mission." He wasn't meeting Aang's eyes. "So, um, I'm not going to do anything… for now. I mean, it'd be wrong to - to take advantage of your generosity. I'd rather just pretend that I… don't know where you are. For now."

There was a long silence as the others processed his words. Then the Avatar spoke:

"I… understand. You have to do what you think is right. So, um, thanks for not attacking us?" He held out his hand.

Zuko didn't hesitate in shaking it. He and his uncle picked up their bags and started to head to the city.

"Oh, hey, Zuko!" yelled Sokka.

He turned around. "Hmmm?"

"Next time, we're totally going to beat you!"

"Yeah, right!" he replied with a grin. He waved and started walking again. This time, he didn't turn back.

It was an acceptable compromise. He'd just pretend that he didn't see the smirk on his uncle's face.

* * *

**Aand... that's it! First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for reading. Would you believe that we've had 1,040 views from America alone this month? I hope that you'll all consider reading some of my non-Avatar stuff (since this isn't my usual fandom).**

**Secondly, I'd like to thank Atarah Derek for the help in revising Chapter 9. (If you haven't seen the revised version, I invite you to check it out.) Also, I'm going to preempt the inevitable complaint about my explanation for why firebenders couldn't have started the fire by saying that I couldn't think of a good excuse but I wanted to make it clear that the fire was natural. (Sorry about that. It's hard to write things so that people who can generate fire don't look culpable.) If anyone has a better explanation I'd be happy to revise.**

**Finally, I'm sorry that this fic is as short as it is. I go back to school in a few days and I didn't want to have to slow the updates. Plus, I've been sort of waiting the ending for the last five chapters. The only reason I didn't put it sooner is that it would've felt cheesy and tacked-on.**

**Thanks again, please R&R, etc.**


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